Spa Business Wisdom

I Spy Spa - my adventures as a Spa consumer

Introduction:

I moved to Houston, Texas five months ago for an exciting new project: Rome Salon and Day Spa, a brand new Day Spa coming soon to Houston. With our opening date being delayed due to prolonged construction, I found myself needing to investigate, explore and find places to get my Spaiiing and the usual manicure/pedicure/hair color/grooming needs taken care of.  After all I don't just work in this industry I use it, enjoy it and adore it. Unfortunately, my experiences over the past five months have left me dissatisfied with the quality of the services offered and the lack of customer care. I know that I'm just a little fish in a big pond. My being upset or not returning to a location because of a negative experience is not going to change the way they do business. However, this has helped me to be acutely aware of what the consumer feels hears and sees. There is nothing like spending your hard-earned money and experiencing things first-hand in order to realize that you have to work harder to create an excellent experience for each one of your customers, each and every time they visit you.

With that in mind and because I share as much as I can in this Blog to help Spa owners and operators, I'm going to share some of my experiences of the last five months. My intention is not to create negative publicity for my colleagues, this is why I'm not including the names of the locations. My goal is for you to see, hear and experience what I did so that you may go back to your Spa to make sure this is NOT how your staff is treating your valuable customers. One more thing, as a customer I expect great service every time. I expect to receive the full value of what I pay for. This means that the price point raises or lowers my expectations accordingly. I never tell the staff that I am a Spa owner or that I am even in the industry because I want to relax. In essence I am your average Spa-goer, the repeat client that spends money on retail and becomes very loyal if treated right. 

(Price range definition: $ = $0 to $50; $$ = $51-$75; $$$ = $76-$100; $$$$ = $101-$200; $$$$$ = over $200 per single treatment)

The beginning:

I needed to update my hair color. I asked one of the PR ladies I've been working with (PR Boutique) for some recommendations (her hair color is perfect). She recommended her stylist and gave me his cell number. I called (he was very nice) and found a way to fit me in. Before we finished he told me that he needed to make sure the Front Desk put me in the book because "they are supposed to make the appointments". I apologized profusely and said that I would have called the Front Desk directly but that I was told to call him. He says "Yes, because they make so many mistakes, they don't know what they are doing, this way I make sure it is right." (Oh,oh) Fast forward one week...On the day of my appointment, I pulled up to a sign outside of the Day Spa that said customers must valet. It was raining and there was not a valet person in sight. I drove around, self-parked and walked to the entrance (soaking wet). I walked in to the Front Desk and guess who was chatting with the Front Desk Agent? Yes, the valet....I told him I parked and he says 'Why? you have to wait for me. No, no I have to park your car." I smiled and jokingly told him that I was not going back out in the rain and that if he wanted to park all the cars maybe he needed to be standing at the entrance. "Sorry you missed the chance" I said. He replied, "What do you want lady?, I'm entitled to my coffee break." He walked away shaking his head and muttering under his breath. I stood there and looked at the Front Desk Agent, expecting her to say something but instead she just looked at me. No greeting, nothing. I finally told her I had an appointment, she looked down at her computer and said "Name?" I gave her my information, she clicked on the computer (never looking up), raised her hand and pointed to a seating area and said, "Wait there".

The Day Spa is large. It is located in one of the nicest areas in Houston, River Oaks. The PR agency and others told me this is the number one place to go....I sat and waited, and waited, and waited. Twenty minutes after my appointment-time the stylist came to me and said "I'm so sorry. I've been waiting for you at my station, I had no idea you had already arrived, they never called me. They are such idiots." He proceeded to escort me to his station while telling me about all the issues and mistakes he deals with due to the inefficiencies of the Front Desk. As a consumer I felt uncomfortable, as a Spa professional I wondered how many times my staff might have a similar conversation with a client. So far, I felt as if the stylist and the Front Desk are at war, that the valet doesn't care about his job or his duties and that the Front Desk agent cares less. I thought perhaps I was being too critical; however, I know that at my Spa I wouldn't want any of these to be experienced by my customers.

The stylist did a great job with my color and cut, he was pleasant and you could tell he was a very good technician. The prices are on the $$$$ range. However, the level-of-service, attitudes, cleanliness and client care were never exhibited. Even thought I liked the end result for my hair, I will not go back, it was too much drama for me and pricier than what I want to spend every six weeks.

Let's try something else:

My assistant recommended a Spa for my next Pedicure/Manicure appointment. I originally thought it was just a Nail Salon because of the name. I went online to see what they offer, what the facilities look like, the prices, etc. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that they offer Facials, Massages and Body Treatments. The website was done so well that I found myself wanting to take half-a-day off and book a Spa package. The pictures on the website are awesome, the prices a little higher on the Pedicures ($$$ range) than what I was hoping for but it all sounded so good that I thought I deserved it and I wanted to check it out.

I was really excited because this particular day spa was listed in the d'vine website as one of their locations (d'vine is a great skin care line that I have used in the past and you can only find it where it is used professionally). I called and asked the agent which facial listed on the menu is the one they do using d'vine and she says, "I'm sorry, what is d'vine?" I explained how I found them listed and that it is a skin care line.....Silence.......She said, "We do our facials with SkinCeuticals." I said, "But your website lists Decleor and Eminence also." She replied, "Oh no, that was when we first opened, now we only use SkinCeuticals". I think OK, never mind, back to plan A. They have so many selections that I'm not sure which one to pick. I started asking questions about the difference between the 'Coconut Milk Pedicure' and the 'Island Spa Pedicure' and the 'Caviar Manicure' and 'Rescue Manicure'. I could sense she was tired of dealing with all the questions and just wanted to get me off the phone, so she said "I'll just book you for a full hour each and the technician will go over all our options to help you decide which one you want" I liked her solution. I was curious and I booked my appointment.

I arrived and found out they have been opened for six years. I ask the Front Desk agent why are they still showing all those skin care lines as treatment options on the website and she said, "Oh, the website is from when we opened, it only gets updated once a year." I ask her about a tour, she looks up (she was sitting) with shock written all over her face and says "Why?, we don't do that here, we are just a nail salon, you will see it when you get your services." OK then. I waited and waited, ten minutes after my appointment time a lady approached me to let me know that  she was running late and will be with me soon. This made me feel better about waiting. She asked me if I had chosen the pedicure/manicure I wanted. I replied, "I was hoping that you could tell me more about the different treatment options and answer a few questions that I have to help me decide." She handed me a menu and walked away (the menu was the exact same information as the website). I decided right then and there, OK no big deal, this is it; they are really just a nail salon. I'll just get my treatments and be done with it, I thought, but I was disappointed. Their website over promised and under delivered. The pedicure was fabulous but the facility, location and customer service was not up to par with the pedicure price or the image portrait in the website. Will I go back? Probably not.

Not giving up yet:

I find a Spa that is advertised as a Medical Spa even though they are a Day Spa that offers injectables as its only medical treatment. (I'm seeing more and more of those lately.) I know the Architect that designed it and the opening Spa Director (she is no longer there), they are both great professionals and I have high hopes.  I was curious about this facility because it is in very close proximity to where we (Rome) will be located and I desperately needed a Facial.  They are located within walking distance of my apartment so I decide to check them out without calling ahead. I walked in and was greeted with a "Good Afternoon", I asked to see a menu of services. The Front Desk agent was friendly but not informative. She did not try to find out what my purpose was or try to sell me treatments or products. I asked if she could show me the facilities and she stated, "Sorry, I'm the only one here and I cannot leave the Front Desk unattended, however you can sit and check the Menu and I can answer any questions you have." I started to feel hopeful; she sounded sincere. I inquired about the skin care line and their 'New Client Facial'.  I expressed my concerns about the sensitivity of my skin and asked if they could/would do the facial using ONLY Phytomer (I was seated in the Retail/Front Desk area and I noticed they had Phytomer and Decleor skin care products.) She explained that the 'girls' have Phytomer in the rooms and she did not see a problem with that. I proceeded to book an appointment, (a credit card was requested to do so) and she explained the 24 hour cancellation policy. This was all done very efficiently and in a friendly tone. (Kudos) I tried asking questions about the products in retail and she had the opportunity to sell me more services but she made no attempts to do more than what she was being asked. She was pleasant, dressed in a clean uniform and very friendly.

Fast forward two days. I arrived 20 minutes prior to my schedule time (as instructed). I checked   in and the Front Desk agent welcomes me (she is not the same lady from my previous visit). She asked me to fill out a client consultation form and offered me water. (Kudos) After I completed the document she escorted me to the Locker area (leaving the Front Desk unattended!). The locker had a robe and she gave me a Facial wrap and slippers. The slippers were old and tattered, the robe looked and felt old and thin but was clean. My technician picked me up on time (hurray, finally a service that started exactly when it was supposed to!). She stated that I was booked for a 60 minutes 'Personalized Facial'.  I explained that I had booked the 70 minutes 'New Client Facial' with Phytomer products and explained my concern about my skin sensitivity. Her expression told me that she had not heard this information before. She did not have my consultation forms with her, nor did she do a client consultation prior to having me get on the treatment table. No skin analysis was performed, and she had to leave me alone in the room in the middle of the facial because she realized she did not have a particular product that she needed. The treatment only lasted 60 minutes. She directed me back to the locker area and said "Goodbye and thank you for coming today." I was charged for the 70 minutes treatment, which was $10 more than the one she actually performed. I decided to let it go because I didn't want to argue it with the Front Desk agent.

The price range was $$$$, the location ideal, all in a very clean and pleasant environment. The service however was an average experience. Given the price, the facilities, their advertisements and their website I expected an effort to make me a repeat client. They never used the consultation form information, inquired about my skincare goals and how they could help me accomplish them. During the treatment I provoked the possibility of an attempt to sell me products or more services with no results. I would probably try them again for a different service.

Conclusion:
Most of the negatives and issues from these experiences can be easily fixed with training, clear communication and guidelines. Supervision is essential to ensuring that the staff is doing things the way that you envisioned. During my visits, I have yet to find an active supervisor or manager on site, or around. Even when I've asked to speak to the Manager none is available. Are we becoming so burned-out in our duties that we no longer care about the consumer? Do we expect our staff to  carry the business and the satisfaction of our customers without being there to assist, educate, lead and support? Do we truly care about our clients and team members?

I'm not giving up, there have to be places in Houston that care, that offer excellent customer service with excellent treatments in a consistent way. If you know of any, do send me an email with the recommendation.

Until then, my search for the perfect pampering and superior client care will continue.

Stay tuned.....

Written by Zahira J Coll, all rights reserved, the content of this article, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author.

 

In Spanish; 'Tendencias Internacionales en la Industria de Spas'

Los consumidores que frecuentan Spas y se consideran a si mismos conocedores de estos servicios son los que están dictando las tendencias de nuestra industria a nivel internacional. Hoy en día no están conformes con un típico masaje sueco, una hidroterapia o un facial. Están en búsqueda de algo más que un servicio, están buscando un cambio en estilo de vida y de salud. Frecuentar Spas se está convirtiendo en algo necesario para la salud mental y física, es parte del proceso preventivo y del balance emocional.

En adición a la necesidad existente de proveer excelencia en los servicios los consumidores exigen que las facilidades físicas sean espaciosas, de calidad y con un sentido de belleza que vaya mano a mano con el concepto específico del Spa.  En todas las disciplinas estamos experimentando cambios graduales y nuevas tendencias. Por ejemplo, en el campo de la Estética, la nueva tendencia mundial va más allá de la frivolidad, no es solamente sobre la belleza. La Estética se acerca a un nuevo sistema médico donde se combina la comida, suplementos y vitaminas en adición a los productos de cuidado de la piel. Esto brinda bienestar integral y una mejor calidad de vida a las personas. La combinación de tratamientos para ayudar al cuerpo a verse bien y al espíritu a sentirse mejor en la búsqueda del equilibrio individual está creando los cambios de como se desenvuelve este campo en nuestra industria.

En países como Estados Unidos (USA) Canadá y Europa, se reporta que la cirugía estética, la dermatología, y la combinación de ambas disciplinas con los tratamientos que se ofrecen hoy en día proveen una variedad de posibilidades inmensa para el consumidor que está en una búsqueda constante para detener las manos del reloj. Analicemos algunos de los cambios que hemos experimentado mundialmente: 

Clases educativas para  enseñar al consumidor la combinación apropiada de comidas saludables, la importancia de ejercitarse con regularidad y como crear un balance en nuestro ajetreo diario para mantener una mente sana.

Tenemos una nueva generación de consumidores de Spa. En los Estados Unidos de América,  la Asociación Internacional de Spas (ISPA) reportó que 4 millones de jóvenes entre las edades de 14 a 19 años frecuentan Spas con la intención de aprender a bregar con el ‘stress’, seguir una dieta nutritiva y aprender el cuidado correcto de la piel. Según los datos más recientes publicados por ‘Market Research’ estos jóvenes consumidores gastaron $9.5 billones USA en productos de cuidado para la piel y el cabello. El joven promedio gasta unos $900 dólares al año en productos o servicios que lo ayuden a mejorar su apariencia personal. Localizaciones de Spa completamente dedicadas a servir y atender a este grupo están surgiendo en toda América.

Disciplinas antiguas que re-encarnan como revolucionarias en la industria de Spas en Europa, Latino América y USA como la Audio Terapia, Mesoterapia y Endermologie están volviendo a ser populares.

Estamos al tanto de que la localización siempre ha sido un factor muy importante pare el éxito de todo negocio y los Spas no son una excepción a esta regla. Una de las nuevas tendencias en los consumidores es poder interrumpir el día de trabajo para obtener un tratamiento de belleza o relajamiento. Con este fin buscan un Spa que les permita ir y venir rápidamente durante la hora de descanso o a la salida de la jornada de trabajo. Asimismo poder frecuentar un Salón de Belleza o Spa que está localizado donde haya otros negocios para poder completar varias necesidades básicas simultáneamente es muy importante. Con este fin varias cadenas de Spas están abriendo sus puertas en Centros Comerciales, Aeropuertos y cerca de clínicas y hospitales.

No olvidemos que lo que no ha cambiado en la evolución de nuestra industria (y no cambiara) es que existimos para crear bienestar, relajamiento, belleza y armonía para nuestros clientes. Siempre y cuando no nos olvidemos de que ellos son la razón de nuestra existencia y que nuestro éxito depende de la calidad del servicio que brindamos tendremos éxito en nuestro negocio independientemente de que servicio o nueva tendencia podamos ofrecer.

Written by Zahira J Coll, all rights reserved, the content of this article, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author. The above article is an excerpt of Ms. Coll's key note at the Vita Spa Expo 08 in Buenos Aires Argentina and the International Spa Congress in Cancun Mexico.

Este artículo es un resumen de la presentación de la Lic. Zahira J Coll en el Vita Spa Congreso en Buenos Aires Argentina y el Congreso Internacional de Spas en Ciudad México y Cancún. Todos los derechos reservados, el contenido completo de este artículo y ninguna de sus partes no pueden ser copiados o reproducido sin autorización por escrito de la autora.

Being a Spa owner....

We dream of becoming an owner, of wanting to have our very own Spa (or business). I've met a lot of individuals that pursue this dream. I've worked with a few that have accomplished the dream and during my consulting years I've assisted many others that tried to fulfill the dream and somehow, somewhere in the process they realized that it was not what they had dreamed about.

Having your own business could be very time consuming. It could be very fulfilling and it could also bring frustration, endless hours and a never ending feeling. You cannot take a vacation from being an owner, especially if you are the manager or if you are working as a technician in your own business. A book I always recommend to those wanting to own their business is "The E-Myth Revisited" by Michael E. Gerber. This book is especially beneficial to those that are making the transition between being a technician to being an owner. Gerber says that 40% of small businesses fail in the first year and of the ones that survive the first year, 80% fail in five years. Gerber goes on to share with us that the small business owners that fail have a number of similar characteristics while those who succeed do not succeed because of luck, brains or money but because they take a completely different approach to their business. Those that succeed do so because they create a foundation, a serious business foundation. Even though the book was not written for the Spa Industry, it applies to any business, it is about ownership. He explains to us that most small business are started by "technicians", meaning someone that is skilled at something and enjoy doing that something. Anyone from a computer programmer, to a baker, a hairstylist, dog groomer, etc. He says that when these technicians strike out on their won, they continue doing the work they are skilled at, creating a job for themselves, not a business and forgetting to plan and oversee all the aspects of running a business. This is exactly what is happening in our industry over and over again.

I'm in the process of reading E-Myth again and a few other books. I started the journey of becoming a partner in a brand new Spa and I am also the Executive Director. With the current economy and the constant news of business closing I wanted to make sure that Rome is a success. How do we avoid being the owner that creates a 'new job' for ourselves instead of creating a company? How do we avoid being part of the failure statistics? One of my partners believes that there are no guarantees, and I partly agree with that statement but I believe that you can plan for success, instead of letting things happen on their own and hope for success.

I've learned that you need to have a solid business foundation with a growth plan for your business. Unless you have enough money to create your dream Spa and hire enough experts, (from consultants to a great Spa Director to all the technicians you will need), you will probably have to be the Owner/Director or Owner/Technician. This requires you to make sure you set yourself up for growth and replacement of you in your technical capacity. You are planning to avoid feeling as many owners do; exhausted, disappointed, frustrated and wondering why did you become a Spa owner at all.  If you believe this is your passion and that you have what it takes to be one of the ones that succeed then ensure your success and your sanity by taking the time to set up your foundation the right way. Would you build a house without planning, creating blueprints, agonizing over designs, fixtures and cost? Same with a Spa, you shouldn't own one without studying, analyzing, planning, creating, master planning, setting it up as a 'real business' with policies and procedures, business plan, marketing plan, standard operational procedures, job descriptions, and retail campaigns, etc. etc.

What to do first? Read some books, go to trade shows and attend some lectures, especially the ones on the steps to open a Spa, etc. Find FREE resources, such as this Blog, with tidbits about the industry and advise from the reasons why you need Job Descriptions to Interviewing guidelines to Menu Writing and much more. Find out if your local Chamber of Commerce or the Small Business Bureau offer seminars on how to set up a business, how to write a business plan and permits needed, etc. The internet offers unlimited resources and knowledge, take the time and take advantage.

I also recommend the Day Spa Association and the International Spa Association as the best trade organizations with resources, referrals or recommendations that are very helpful. If you already have business knowledge, education or experience then you probably feel that you can skip some of the research or the learning....maybe-maybe not. This industry is different, has a different history and it is forever evolving. I believe that the more you know the better equipped you will be for success. However knowing and doing are two different things; we need to learn and we need to execute the lessons learned; we need to recognize our strengths and our weaknesses; we need to use our talents fully and find expert help to compensate what we don't know. We also need to be passionate about our dream and want to be successful to get there.

As Vincent T. Lombardi said; "The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will."

Always wishing you success in your endeavors....

Stay tuned.....

Written by Zahira J Coll, all rights reserved, the content of this article, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author.

The Process of Opening a Spa

I was recently asked to summarize all the steps required to open a Spa and my answer is, "Every time I've done an opening the steps required are different and the time it takes me to complete them varies." This is partly due to the differences in concepts, sizes, ownership, budget and geographical location. However there is a basic process that I can share with all of you. It doesn't matter how big or small you are going to be the following steps need to happen; there is also a science to the order in which I do these things and I could expand more on each different step if you send me questions. This is the right time to share this information because I'm in the midst of opening a Spa myself.

The name and the concept or theme should be first. Sometimes finding the right name is quick and easy and sometimes it can take months. Why? You need to make sure that the name you want is available, that you can buy the web address, that it is easy for people to remember and that it conveys what it is that you do or sell. Practice saying the name fast, or as if you were answering the telephone; keep in mind that your staff will not enunciate each word slowly every time they answer the phone. Consider that if your future customer cannot pronounce the name, repeat it easily or read it without asking 'How do you say that?' it will be harder for you to create a permanent impression in their head. The other obstacle is that sometimes when we go search for the domain name it is not available and we experience disappointment. If we have partners it might take a bit of back and forth to come up with a new name acceptable to all. If you can tie the name and theme into one it is even better. For example our Spa name is ROME and the concept is a contemporary interpretation of ancient Rome. I was sure the web address would not be available or that we would not be able to register the name.  We got lucky, our web address is RomeDaySpa.com, perfect. The name and what we do all in one word. Our real name is Rome Salon and Day Spa but that was too long for a web-address and being a full service Day Spa we figured the web address served its purpose. We bought the web address 2 years ago and we are glad we did. It would probably not be available now if we went searching for it. Lesson learned, even if you are not planning on opening in a few years, decide your name, do the research and buy your domain as soon as you are able to.

Next you should work on creating your Business Plan or having a professional work out the numbers for you. It will help you put your vision in words and numbers in addition to objectively analyzing what would be your break-even point, how much you need for build out costs, how much you need for operational expenses and when you would start generating a net profit. It also helps to decide how big or small you should be. I recommend Resources & Development's Financial Blueprint product at this stage in the process.

One of my favorite steps is the writing and creation of the Menu of Services. Finding the products and deciding on the services to offer could take a long time. Why? You want to make sure you find the right vendors to partner with. Products that represent what your concept is. Let's go back to Rome's example and what you know about it so far. Do you think having coconut based treatments or a Zen garden in our Spa goes with our name and theme?  It doesn't matter that I love Pure Fiji's Brown Sugar Coconut Scrub it just doesn't go with my concept. Additionally, in selecting product lines and creating your menu, you will also be seeking vendors to supply the equipment and materials. You will want to make sure the vendors and sales representatives understand your vision. Make it a requirement before you settle on a vendor that they share your passion, understand your budget or space constraints, are flexible with the minimums and provide you with the support and advice you need. Be careful of those out there that are only interested in closing the sale and try to make you buy more than you need.

At the same time you are creating the menu and selecting vendors and product lines, you might be looking for your perfect location and of course the size of your location and the layout will affect the kind of services you would be able to offer. Imagine having a full menu in place with water treatments and then finding the perfect location but no water treatments allowed due to a city ordinance to preserve the water. (Yes, not making it up, it happened to one of my clients.)

Researching license and permit requirements is another one of the early steps to do. This will save you many headaches later, especially during recruitment and training. For more details on this particular step do check out my Blog entry titled, Spas Licensing and Permits.

Creating your staffing matrix and deciding on which compensation method to use will take some time and research too. The staffing matrix helps you determine how many employees you will need in each discipline and in your support positions. This is done by taking the hours of operation and the services you will provide combined with the amount of treatment rooms you have. I always recommend having a minimum of one technician per discipline for at least 50% of your treatment rooms or stations for every hour you are open. Don't forget to include your Front Desk/Retail/Housekeeping needs, you will not be able to cover it all, believe me. As you are doing this, research and analyze the Compensation Method you will want to use, this determines how you need to recruit and how many employees you really need to hire. Case in point, the personalities and behavior of someone that is paid on a commission-based system is very different from someone that is paid an hourly wage or salary. The language you use in your recruitment efforts has to be tailored to the qualities and behavioral patterns you need to find in your future staff members. If you are not from this industry the different compensation methods will confuse you and if you are from this industry you might be used to a particular one and not realize the impact that it has on the bottom line.

As all of this is happening (remember the parallel universe?) you might be dealing with architectural reviews of your space, construction companies, business permits, financing, and you might still be working a full time job. Consider hiring a part-time administrative helper that could grow into a Front Desk position or Supervisory role after you are open. You can also find a consultant that is experienced in pre-opening details; this is an investment to save your sanity. The Day Spa Association is a good source for information and referrals for the help you might need. It is also the number one trade organization for the Day Spa industry and I encourage you to become a member. The amount of information and support you get from it is worth the investment and it helps you to differentiate your Spa from the rest.

Around sixty days before your desired opening date the Recruitment Process should begin. Because this is such an important aspect of your success I have published and lectured on the subject often. To read more about it check out my previous entries on this Blog ('Interviewing Know-How Part 1' May 2007 and 'Interviewing Know-How Part 2' July 2007) or go to my LinkedIn page and download the power point presentation from the Day Spa Expo event I recently lectured at.

You will also be handling the final purchases on equipment, implements, supplies, products, decor items, construction punch list, build out details, etc, etc, etc......details, details, details. Public Relations, Website development, Google and Yahoo listings, planning your opening event and creating awareness in your market segment are also steps you need to take. Stay tuned to this blog for entries on all those details and do check out my previous entries on subjects such as 'Menu Writing', 'What the Customer Really Wants' and many more.

I wish you success in your endeavors, balance, prosperity and happiness in your life.

Stay tuned..........

Written by Zahira J Coll, all rights reserved, the content of this article, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author.

A new Spa Trend that is not so new

Traditionally I would not be the one advising you to consider adding anything to your menu that is being referred to as a “new trend”.  I have learned however to never say “never” in life and this is one of those moments in which against my own previous advice I bring to you a Spa Trend!

Have you heard of Toe Reading? It all started with a book written by KC Miller, ‘Toe

Reading

: Are You Walking Your Destined Path.' This book is in its fifth edition and KC has been taking the country by storm with what is becoming known as a Toe Reading phenomena, get an idea at www.celebritytoewatch.com and www.toereadingonline.com

How did it start? How does it work?  KC is the founder and director of Southwest Institute of Healing Arts and she is a Reflexologist, Life Coach and Ordained Minister. KC explains in her book that Toe Reading is “the metaphysical understanding that the direction and formation of the toes are the physical printout of the path a person’s life has taken. The toes are depositories for stores and emotions.” She goes on to explain that a toe reader “is someone who honors the stories coded in the toes and is spiritually and emotionally available to unlock the storyline stored in the cells of the body, specifically stored in the hologram of the toes.”

I believe in reflexology and how everything in your feet is connected to the rest of your body, your organs and your mind. I was very fortuna

te to be invited to KC’s school, Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, in Tempe, AZ to lecture on “Managing and Motivation Techniques”. While visiting the institute and getting a better idea as to all the programs they offer, I became increasingly curious about how Toe Reading worked. I was fortunate to get a session with Lesley Pelkey, alumni of SWIHA and the founder of www.toetalk.com. The best word to describe how it went is “spooky”; she was so right on with her analysis, observations and questions that it freaked me out. I was not ready for such an in depth analysis of my soul, my psyche, and on top of that it was all done in less than 15 minutes. Impressive to say the least. I am considering how to add it to my special events menu of services. It is a great activity, you don’t need a treatment room, equipment need is minimal but you do need a Toe Reader, to find one in your area go to www.GreatTherapists.com. In my opinion the best Toe Readers are those that are also Life Coaches.

My most sincere thanks to KC Miller, Linda Bennett and Lesley Pelkey for a fabulous experience at SWIHA!

“How would your life be different if you believed every Sole that walked the earth was a Soul sent from heaven to keep its date with destiny?” KC Miller

Stay tuned........

Written by Zahira J Coll, all rights reserved, the content of this article, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author. 

Medical Spa Insurance - Do you have the right coverage?

With the increase in medical spa procedures, and the American consumer's obsession with not aging, we are not only seeing a 45% growth in nonsurgical cosmetic procedures, (from 2003 to 2005 according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery), but we are also seeing a growth in 'nuisance claims'. According to Wikipedia; Nuisance signifies that the right of quiet enjoyment is being disrupted to such a degree that a tort is being committed. Tort is defined as a legal term in common law jurisdictions referring to a civil wrong recognized by private law as providing a cause of action in court and entitling the injured party to a remedy, usually damages. In non-surgical procedures the patient expectations can be so unrealistic that depending on the education, published materials and disclaimers used in your MedSpa you could be providing an environment for 'nuisance claims'.

Is your Spa adequately insured to defend these claims? Nuisance claims tend to transform into expensive, time-consuming & emotionally drawing lawsuits. Being properly insured is important but having the proper documents and process in place, not creating unrealistic and sometimes impossible expectations, and constantly educating your clients/patients is just as important.

The most common mistakes occur with laser hair removal, usually burns. This is a direct result of lack of training or experience. It is very important for physicians and the staff performing these services to attend continuing education seminars, hands-on workshops, and have a testing or certification process in place in which competency needs to be demonstrated before turning them loose on a patient. Consent Forms are very important, they should include ALL the potential risks and outcomes and they should be completely reviewed with the patient before performing the procedure, documenting in their file that you reviewed all this information and that the client still agreed to have the procedure is crucial. From an insurance standpoint before and after pictures are key in the event of a claim.

One more thing to consider, if you are working as a Medical Director make sure that the existing policy is not just a malpractice policy that only covers the treating physician. Talk to the insurance agent agent and find out if you have coverage for the spa's legal entity; coverage for the owners; coverage for the staff and coverage for you as a supervisory Medical Director, and make sure the policy has 'vicarious liability'. According to Legal explanations.com, a 'vicarious liability can be defined as the liability created by an action or not action by a person, working on behalf of him when he is responsible for all the action or inaction of such persons within the limits of their association.' In other words, when an employee or worker causes a loss to somebody in the normal course of his duty then the employer would be responsible for such loss. Consider the possibility of a physician delegating the treating duties with very negative results; the patient will most likely sue everyone (and the entity) that had a hand in the treatment. If the doctor and the spa are properly insured, the insurance carrier will probably provide great legal defense.

As a sustaining member of The International Medical Spa Association, I encourage you to visit the website and learn more about the resources and information they provide. They have resources that can help you figure out if you have the right kind of policy for your medical spa facility, if you have the proper policies and procedures in place and it also keeps you informed on the latest legislation concerning the Medical Spa world.

Stay tuned........

Written by Zahira J Coll, all rights reserved, the content of this article, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author.

Why do you need Job Descriptions?

Job Descriptions are key to planning who will do what. They provide a guideline to determine what you are looking for in every position. They help the team members have a basic 'road map' to understand what is expected of them. Job Descriptions (JD) are tools to be used in the training process. Most importantly they help owners and managers in the performance evaluation process to hold employees accountable for their responsibilities.

JDs should be used prior to creating your recruitment and interviewing process; they help you create the questions that will ensure you are finding out if the candidate meets the essential qualifications of the position they are applying for. The JDs should be given to the staff member at orientation. (I hand them out during the interview process). Remember, it is a 'road map' for them to be able to understand what your expectations are of the job duties and their qualifications. When they are handed out, two (2) copies should be made, one for the employee to keep and one for the employee to sign and return to the manager to place in the employee file.

In general JDs are not required by law, with a few exceptions. They are recommended by Human Resources Professionals and Attorneys because they can provide details on the specific functions, types and levels of required skills in addition to assisting in the recruitment and training efforts of employers.

The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) does not require employers to have job descriptions, but it does require employers that have them to follow certain guidelines in regards to format and content. ADA focuses on essential functions and this has a profound impact on job analysis and documentation of all types, especially job descriptions.

The term "essential function" means the fundamental job duties of the employment position. However, essential job functions that are not commonly called duties, such as physical effort, may be essential under ADA. Most physical demands are categorized as strength; climbing or balancing; walking/running; stooping, kneeling, crouching and/or crawling; reaching, handling, fingering and/or feeling; talking and/or hearing; seeing and/or other demands such as smelling.

In accordance with the ADA, the analysis of work and the job description must focus on essential functions and what they require, not the ways they are currently or customarily performed. Accordingly, the language in the job descriptions must be chosen carefully so that it is not prejudicial to qualified persons with disabilities.

The basic components of a job description are:

Place of work - simply indicates the physical area in which the staff member will be required to be to perform his/her duties. In a small Spa everyone will most likely be required to perform duties in various areas of the Spa and not necessarily only at the Reception are. In this case simply stating, Spa or Salon is sufficient. If on the other hand it is a large facility in which a Reception employee can not leave the Reception are and this is the only place they are at during their shift then changing it to Reception area is advisable.

Reports to - The assumptions made are the typical reporting lines in the Spa industry; however it really depends on the organizational chart created. Make sure it reflects who the employee directly reports to, who will oversee their day to day functions; write their performance evaluations or disciplinary documents. In a small Spa/Salon scenario everyone will most likely report to the owner or manager.

Essential Qualifications or Skills or Job Functions: The word essential protects you, the business owner. This is what the position, or person applying for the position has to possess and must be able to perform. Make sure the essential requirements, skills and job functions are appropriate to the position and make sure they are equal to any current practices.

Exempt Status: Means the position is salaried and not subject to overtime requirements. It also means that the job description requires and follows all the guidelines to qualify the position as Exempt as per labor law guidelines.

Non-exempt Status: Means the position is hourly and it is subject to all overtime state requirements. It also means that the job description duties and responsibilities listed do not qualify the position for exempt status.

Last paragraph content: I always include a last paragraph that works as a disclaimer if at an "at-will" state. It should be written in a way that clarifies that the job description is not an employee contract. I also include a statement about the job description not being all inclusive of all duties and responsibilities.

Physical Demands and Environmental Conditions Analysis: As explained before, this is the section of the job description that would be in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Remember that laws differ considerably between states, or in some instances between one county to another. I strongly advise you to have your final job descriptions reviewed by your local legal council or do the necessary research before you finalize them and provide them to your employees. 

If you don't want to write your own job descriptions check our Spa "Ready-to-Use Business Tools" at http://www.resourcesanddevelopment.com/JobDescriptions.htm these tools are written specifically for the Spa industry. They have the information needed to help you create, document, and communicate your company's fundamental policies, vision and mission, as well as help employees understand the roles and the behaviors expected of them.

Stay tuned......

Written by Zahira J Coll, all rights reserved, the content of this article, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author.

Are you Ready for 2008?

Do you have a marketing plan in place? Do you have your promotions figured out for next year? Did you keep track of the results of last years Ads, Public Relations and promotions efforts? If you answered YES to these questions; CONGRATULATIONS! You are amongst the few Spa professionals that take the time to do these things and you are reaping the rewards of your efforts.  If you answered NO; do not fear I am here to help you figure out why you need this and how to do it.

Preparation and planning are key components of success in business. I am often asked “Where do you find the time to write three blogs, simultaneously work on numerous consulting and management projects, fulfill family obligations and still have time to send birthday cards, buy Christmas gifts, and take time off?  It is all about planning ahead, building some flexibility to your plan, not being afraid to ask for help and good time management techniques. You can not be lazy or procrastinate. You can not plan and then not put all the little details and steps in place. If you are a broad picture kind of person then you need to find a detailed and organized helper to make sure it is all done and executed.

Why should you do promotions? Seasonal promotions help you create Retail and Service excitement. A well developed promotion does not have to be about discounting services or products. Promotions also help stimulate your staff. Most marketing and promotional programs fail due to of lack of planning, staff support, communication and staff training; also lack of communication with your customers and lack of advanced notice to your vendors.

Getting back to the Marketing plan, put your creative hat on and don’t think of it as the writing of a document, think of it as writing Ad copy for your advertising, brochures, website, etc. You have to tell a story and be consistent with the story you are telling, keep it simple and easy to follow and make sure you include the following components:

1.      Who are you?

·         Story behind your conception, creation, name.

2.      What services do you offer? What do you do? How do you do it?

·         How are you different from your competition?

·         What can you offer that they don’t have?

a.      Who are you targeting as your market segment?

b.      What products do you carry and why?

c.       What supports your Menu of Services and concept?

d.      What are the Advantages to the consumer

e.      What is your Pricing Strategy?

When you wrote your Business plan you probably included a Marketing Section, go back to it to re-fresh your memory. What did you say you were going to do to promote your business? Did you do it? Did it work? Take that information and use it to write your new strategy. You might want to see how accurate you were about the following:

·         Who is your target market?

·         Competitive Analysis

·         Competitive advantage

v      Do you know your target market?

·         Who is your secondary market?

For example; your target market could be females ages 35-55 within a 10 mile radius of zip code _____? Your secondary target market could be males same age group same area.

Analyze who your target markets are? According to Info Salon Marketing the target market for a Day Spa client is within a 7 mile radius of your facility.  What groups do you have in that 7 mile radius? Are you promoting to them? How? In your plan decide how you will advertise to them, how you will communicate your promotions to them? Radio, web, direct mail campaigns, email blasts, pay per click advertisement, Spa Newsletter, and Billboards are just a few of the ways you can get your name and your services out there. We recommend you create an Inside Promotions Program and an Outside Promotions Program. Basically the inside program communicates to the customers within your walls and the outside program gets your message out to possible new customers and the community at large.

Some ideas on how to promote from the Inside are to use the Hold message from your phone to talk about your services, use talking cards or signage (in pretty frames) in your Front Desk area, Retail area, Waiting area, Treatment areas and Bathrooms. I know of a Spa that has a Flat screen TV in their Salon waiting area with a video loop of all the services they perform in the Spa and the benefits of those services. Make sure the message you are displaying is current and consistent with what you are offering. Your vendors are a great resource for beautiful art work and materials to help you promote the services or products they provide. For Outside promotions you can use Direct Mail, Email with programs such as Constant Contact, your website, billboards, flyers, phone blast, paid print/radio advertising, new media advertising, mixer events and donations to non profit organizations that include ad space in their promotions and programs.

Talking about your website; in my book a website without e-commerce is like a store without a cash register. Make sure your website is up to date, that your shopping cart is working, that people can sign up to get special offers, that they can buy and print Gift Certificates directly from your site, a great source for this is Spa Boom. Most importantly make sure that your Spa phone number and address is visible in every page just as your website address should be visible in every marketing piece. Another tidbit is to use images of your facility in your website. When you use stock images you are not providing them with the look and feel of your facility and they might assume that your Spa is not as nice as it is. Proof of this is that the pages most visited on Spa websites are the virtual tour sections. Do make sure the pictures are nicely done and web friendly.

Don’t do this all by yourself, have a fun creative meeting with your staff to write the plan. Think about it, if they are part of the creation they will have more ownership in the execution. After all, a plan is just a plan; it is the people that execute it. They’re the ones that have the power to make a difference.

Happy Holidays! Wishing you success……..Stay tuned…..

Independent Contractors vs. Employees

In this day and age I am still surprised when I talk to a Spa owner and Director and they tell me their employees are independent contractors. This is an oxymoron, you can not be an employee and an independent contractor, it is one or the other. If this was a gray area I would be more understanding, even sympathetic, but this is one of those very legally defined things and it should not exist in our industry anymore.

Why? I ask, would anyone want to have people working in their establishment, doing their very own thing, having their own clients, acting independently of the ownership and the business. Why would you classify people as independent contractors (IC) and then get upset when they don't behave as employees? Why do you wonder how come you can not control your staff or get them to follow simple rules and company policies, when they are under the understanding that they are independent contractors. I get asked how to go after a technician if they leave and take all the clients with them. How can you be surprised if this happens when you thought you had in IC relationship with this technician? I do believe the confusion starts with how people are paid, there is this assumption that if you can pay a % commission of the services performed, then you must be able to classify them as independent contractors.

This is not the case, paying commission, flat fee per service or something like it is not what qualifies someone to be classified as IC. According to the Internal Revenue Service "you have to define the business relationship that exists between you and the person performing the services. If you incorrectly classify an employee as an independent contractor, you can be held liable for employment taxes for that work, plus penalty." In general, someone who performs services for you is your employee if you can control what will be done and how it will be done. During an audit or legal action many facts are considered in deciding whether a worker is an independent contractor or an employee. For example;

• Behavioral control - facts that show whether the business has a right to direct and control. These include: Instructions such as telling the employee when, where and how to work, what tools or equipment to use, what work must be performed, what order or sequence to follow.
• Training - an employee may be trained to perform services in a particular manner. An IC can not!
• Financial control - facts that show whether the business has a right to control the business aspects of the worker's job. These include the extent of the worker's investment, the extent to which the worker has un-reimbursed expenses, the extent to which the worker makes services available to the relevant market, how the business pays the worker, the extent to which the worker can realize a profit or loss.
• Type of relationship - facts that show the type of relationship. These include written contracts describing the relationship the parties intend to create, whether the worker is provided with employee-type benefits, documents given to the worker such as job descriptions, employment application, employment paperwork, the permanency of the relationship, how integral their services are to the principal activity.

If in doubt and you want to use the IRS form and questions to determine if you indeed can classify anyone in your business as IC, then I encourage you to visit www.irs.gov and find form SS-8. If you want to do it without assistance from the IRS another great source is the book "The Reluctant Spa Director and the Mission Dream" by Skip Williams, page 81 to be exact. (you can buy the book at Amazon or at www.ResourcesAndDevelopment.com) Mr. Williams provides you with 20 questions to help you analyze if the person can be considered an IC or not. If you answer yes to any of them, you have an employee not an independent contractor. Some of the questions included in his book are:

• Do you instruct the person as to when, where and how work is performed?
• Did you train the person to perform services in a particular way?
• Are the person's services vital to company operations?
• Is the person required to perform the work personally?
• Do you furnish tools or equipment for the person?

Going back to the IRS form SS-8 some of the questions they include are;

• How does the worker receive work assignments?
• Who determines the methods by which the assignments are performed?
• Is the worker required to provide the services personally?
• Whom does the customer pay?
• Who provides the worker with leads to prospective clients?

The bottom line is that if you are misclassifying your staff you are violating IRS regulations as well as your State Department of Labor. In our experience we have seen Spa locations where the penalties are so high that they've had no choice but to go out of business. For example; once the IRS realizes that you have misclassified employees as ICs they will classify all the money you have paid to these individuals as "net pay" and go after the employer for owed taxes and social security, plus interest and penalties. Imagine having to pay 15% to 30% over and above what you have paid these individuals already. If the State Department of Labor audits you, they will make you show them all the compensation documents, any schedules, time cards etc to determine what overtime, break/lunch guidelines or duration of shift laws have been violated. They will order to pay all monies owed and charge the employer interest and penalties too.

Yes, I hear the "Well how many people really get caught?" or that is "Never going to happen to me". Sure, keep believing it, but why then do you want to achieve different results by doing something that is morally and legally incorrect. Become a landlord and rent stations (booth rentals) if that is really how you want to operate your business. Don't lie to yourself, don't expect the results you can only get by doing things right if you insist on doing things wrong. We always say that the definition of insanity is to expect different results by doing things in the exact same way. I encourage you to be an enlightened Spa owner and not put your business at risk.

Stay tuned........

Written by Zahira J Coll, all rights reserved, the content of this article, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author.

The Workforce of Today

Employment has reached record heights in the US labor market and the economy is creating jobs but according to the US Department of Labor there are challenges ahead as the market transitions.

Some of the trends we are seeing are; half of the private sector employers are making work-related education benefits available, internship programs are increasing and employers are more flexible with flex-time. Over the next decade the majority of jobs will require more skills, higher education and pay above average wages. According to the NY Times the number of "un-filled job openings has steadily risen to 4.2 million at the end of May 2007", this suggests that job opportunities are growing faster than qualified candidates are being found to fill them. By 2008 the US economy will offer nearly 161 million jobs to 155 million workers. The Hudson Institute predicts that the supply of skilled labor in the US will not catch up to the demand until 2050.

You are probably thinking, 'So what? What does that have anything to do with me and my spa?' My answer is; 'everything!' In the Spa and Beauty industry we have been experiencing tremendous growth and we have felt the pain of needing to find Licensed Technicians for the jobs we are creating. According to the International Spa Association the Spa industry growth from August 2006 to July 2007 was 6%. Depending on where your Spa is located some areas have plenty of graduates and experienced candidates, and other areas have some and not others. For example in Las Vegas we have tons of Licensed Estheticians, more candidates than available jobs, but we have a huge shortage of Nail Technicians and Massage Therapists.

If you are considering opening a spa I recommend that you think about Recruitment first. Every service you decide to provide will require you to research and analyze who can perform it; what licensure do they need; which board do they need to comply with; and what kind of staff do you need to hire? What is the employee pool like in your geographical area? Try to find out if there are plenty of candidates to chose from. If you are already in operations and you are experiencing some of these issues consider re-structuring your Menu and eliminating the services that you don't have enough technicians for. Remember that your Menu creates an expectation on what your costumers want and if you can not deliver it you are creating negative impressions with them.

There are some creative ways to approach the staffing challenges we face in our industry, such as developing your own education program, partnering with the technical schools in your area and outside your area. Also becoming the employer of choice, so that candidates are after you and not the other way around, this is a sure way to always have great candidates available when you need them.

To determine how long your recruitment process might take, figure out when do you need the person to start the job and back-track four (4) weeks if you are in an area with plenty of candidates. If you are in a challenging area with few candidates, back-track twelve (12) weeks. This is the day you have to start advertising your available positions. For those of you in difficult areas, consider doing continuous recruitment to create a bank of future candidates; create part-time and on-call positions with plenty of opportunities for growth; create internship or apprentice programs, etc.

Don't forget that I always say; "You have to kiss a lot of frogs to find your prince." Recruitment is a numbers game. Good luck!

Stay tuned.......

Written by Zahira J Coll, all rights reserved, the content of this article, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author.